a real e-mail from a friend of mine in New Orleans

First off, I wanted to thank everyone for their support. All of you either
called or e-mailed me (or made me fun CDs, thanks Brit) to see how Luke and
I made out. Since I've been back, this is the first chance I've had to
e-mail. I've been literally working around the clock, reporting and writing
until about midnight every night.

But the reason I'm sending this e-mail today is to ask you all for help.

Yesterday, I spent the day at a FEMA trailer park in south east Louisiana.
There a group of lower ninth-ward residents are living in the same community
as a group of St. Bernard Parish residents. (Just some background info, both
communites are completely different and would never shop at the same grocery
store, much less live side-by-side together. St. Bernard is white; lower
ninth is black. But both communities were flooded and people lost
everything).

I couldn't believe the stories I heard. Anita Davis spent five days in the
Superdome, too afraid to move because it was dark and she heard shotguns.
She saw a dead 2-year-old in the garbage can one day. When she began running
out of food, she ate an M&M a day and drank a few ounces of water to sustain
herself. The bathroom's were so disgusting from overfilled toliets and urine
and feces all over the place that she took a washcloth and put soap on it
and covered her mouth to use it. She said she 'broke out' of the superdome,
ended up in a shelter and then was brought to the FEMA trailer park. She
can't sleep more than 3 hours because of the nightmares.

Theresa Lee was rescued from the roof of her home after she and her family
cut a hole in the attic, where they saw bodies floating past them.She can't
swim and says she sometimes has nightmares that she's drowning. She used to
own a daycare center and is trying really hard to reopen one where she now
lives.

I haven't cried since I've been back (believe me I did a lot when I was up
in NY) because despite what people have gone through, there is an inner
strength and spirit that comes out when I talk to them. These people NEVER
should have had to endure what they did.

When I was home, a lot of people asked me how they could directly help. They
wanted to see the money go into the hands of someone who really needed it
instead of a big American Red Cross fund. Well these two famlies need it. So
I'm asking all of you to send this to people who really feel the need to
give, who have the money to give. Send it to friends, family members,
co-workers, principals, teachers, businessmen and women...anyone you think
can afford to open up their wallets. The one thing both these women were
grateful for is that their story is being told.

They need clothing (not hand-me down stuff but new clothing), pots and pans,
silverware, dishes, everything to fix up a home. Wal-mart gift cards can
cover a lot of these things.
They need transportation and I know it's not realistic that someone wants to
send them a car, but this e-mail may end up in the right inbox. You never
know.
Their FEMA money is running out fast, and they're starting to get really
frusterated. They also need some encouragement, a card to say that someone
across the country hasn't forgotten what they've been through.


FM me if you would like their addresses

Re: a real e-mail from a friend of mine in New Orleans

how do you reply to something like that? My Mouth was wide open reading it and I just now closed it.
I have the chills and I feel horrible.
Thanks for posting that. I was having a bad b/c of the rain. Pure sillyness.
That e-mail just reminded me that life is so much worse in other places!!!
I just don't know what else to say.

Re: a real e-mail from a friend of mine in New Orleans

I know. If people want to help, this is a legit e-mail sent directly to me from a friend of mine who is working down there. It just breaks my heart and puts things into persepective for all of us.

Re: a real e-mail from a friend of mine in New Orleans

Re: a real e-mail from a friend of mine in New Orleans

Wow, I'm literally lost for words...that is SO sad.

Re: a real e-mail from a friend of mine in New Orleans

Re: a real e-mail from a friend of mine in New Orleans

Just a suggestion but maybe you should take these people's full names and mailing addresses down. You can have people FM you if they want to help but it's probably not best to include such incredibly detailed information about these people, and your friend, on a public website.

JMO.

Re: a real e-mail from a friend of mine in New Orleans

I agree about the personal info. Also, why did she say she wants 'new clothes' not 'Hand me down stuff'... I would think that any bit wuold be helpful...

THat's really sad.

Re: a real e-mail from a friend of mine in New Orleans

i have a bag of clothes waiting to be given to someone who needs them. they are hand me downs though!